Foldable tent-bed.



W. E. MARSH. FOLDABLE TENT BED.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I0. I917.

Patented June 18, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI l.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented J nne 18, 1918.

W. E MARSH.

FOLDABLE TENT BED.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10. l9l'l. 1,270,249.

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INVENTOR lid/21am fiiamfi UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

WILLARD E. MARSH, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

FOLDABLE TENT-BED.

Application filed September 10, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLARI) E. MARSH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Worth, in the county of 'larrant and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improved Form of Foldable Tent- Bed, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improved form of folding tent bed and comprises a cot or bed with a tent shelter constructed in connection therewith, the whole assembly adapted to be dismantled and folded into a comparatively small bundle to render it convenient in transportation.

An object of the invention is to provide a folding bed or cot provided with a superimposed shelter disposed upon the bed in form of a tent and provided with suitable openings at the sides and ends thereof, and further employing suitable openings for ventilation with mosquito bar covering placed over said openings. A further object of the invention is to provide certain means whereby the tent shelter disposed upon the bed, may be stretched and drawn tight and securely closed in every respect by the occupant of the bed after he has retired thereupon. It is a further object of the invention to provide a tent bed of the character described which will be easy to dismantle and pack in a small roll.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has relation to a certain combination and arrangement of parts, an example of which is described in the following specification, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; wherein,

Figure 1 illustrates the folda'ble tent in side elevation with the tent shelter thrown open ready for occupancy.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the bed with the end flaps thrown back.

7 Fig. 3 shows another position of the tent bed in end elevation.

Fig. 4 shows a partial sectional view of parts used for tightening the tent shelter.

Fig. 5 is side sectional view taken upon the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional. view of the tent bed.

Fi 7 is a cross sectional view of the tent eld taken upon the line 7--7 of Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Serial No. 190,418.

to one section of the beam and adapted to I lie upon the other section in a manner to support and reinforce it. The sections 1 and 2 have confined therebetween an outer edge of a piece of fabric or canvas 5. The beams are provided with a groove and rib such that the canvas is pressed into the groove by the rib and securely held therein by the pressure and frictional engagement of the two beam sections. The beams as described are arranged in pairs as illustrated in any of the cross sectional view and support the canvas bed 5 in a horizontal position in such a manner as to present a supporting surface of suitable area for a mattress or other bedding or for the body of an occupant. A plurality of legs (5 connect with the beams and intersect where they are pivoted together upon a pin 7. The legs (3 are joined together in pairs. The present form of tent bed will preferably employ three pairs of legs as shown, one pair near the ends thereof and a pair centrally disposed therebetween and adjacent to the hinge to render the beams rigid. The legs are quickly detachable from the beams through the particular connecting means illustrated which comprise a receiving clip 8 permanently attached to the underneath side of the beams and provided with an opening for receiving the upper extremity of the leg. The legs of the cot are easily withdrawn from the clip 8 by partially folding the cot and slipping the leg extremities from the clip. A chain 9 is connected with each pair of end legs by passing it around and tightly drawing said chain about the intersection of the legs and hooking it as shown at 10. Similar chains 11 have one extremity fastened to the end of the beams with the other end hooked over a pin 12, secured to the legs. The chains 11 are all drawn taut when the cot is assembled, and the chain 9 farther up as shown at 10, in such a manner as to mount all the legs in a vertically rigid position. This arrangement of chain braces adequately supports the cot and the beams thereof in an alined position making a substantial and rigid structure through the use of a minimum 1 amount of light weight material.

The foregoing assembly discloses a novel form of cot constituting a feature of this 111- vention. The cot maybe quickly and conveniently rolled into a comparatively small bundle by removing the chains and with drawing the legs from the clips and folding the beams about the hinge with the legs laid parallel with said beams and the Whole Wrapped with the canvas 5. u

A superimposed tent structure is provided to be erected upon the bed. The whole structure is made in one piece and provided with attached cords for stretching the shelter in a taut condition so that it will effectually turn rain. The tent shelter comprises a pair of side flaps 13 which flaps are foldable down upon each side of the structure, the side flaps being integrally formed at the apex 14:, which form the water shed of the shelter. The side flaps are provided at regular intervals with attached fastener clips 15 which are securely fixed to the lower edge ofeach flap. The cot beams are provided with a groove 16 longitudinally formed therein along the underneath side of said beams. The groove is of suflicient width to receive the hook end of the fastener clip 15. The

flaps are fastened in a closed and secure position by inserting the clip in the groove, which position is shown in Fig. 7, and further shown removed therefrom in Fig. 8. The fastening of the flaps in their position and the insertion ofthe clips in the groove can be performed by the. occupant after he has retired upon the cot. The entire structure of theshelter is supported upon struts 17 arranged in pairs-at each end of the cot. The lower ends of the struts are inserted in a groove 18 longitudinally formed in the beams and provided witha stepped brace 19 inserted in the groove. The lower-ends of the struts are shaped to fit a step of the brace. The upper ends of the struts are inserted and confined in a canvas pocket 20 sewed upon the inner side of closure heads 21. The heads 21. constitute the end portions of the shelter tent and have joined thereto the side flaps 13. 'At each end of the shelter the heads of the tent and side flaps overlap as shown in Fig. 1. The strut pockets 20 are'sewed to the innerside of the heads to secure the end of said strut in position, and reinforce the ends of the tent where strain is brought to bear'thereon in ti-ghteningup the shelter. The lower edges of the heads 21 are provided with the fastenet devices 15 the. same as the lower edge of the flaps. This makes it possible to unhook and fold the heads back thus completely opening the side of the cot from one end to the other. The heads 21 and side flaps arestitched and sewed together as 111- dicated in dotted lines at 22 to represent stitches. The heads are provided with end closure curtains 28 which may be folded back from the end of the tent leaving the entire end thereof open. The closure curtains are two in number, a cord 24 being at tached to each lower edge for the purpose of hooking over the chains 11, After the occupant has retired within the shelter he can readily pass his arm out of the end thereof and hook each cord 24: over the chain. This overlaps the two curtains and securely closes up the end of the cot. A mosquito bar drop curtain 25 is attached along the sides and at the end thereof and adapted to hang in a vertical and contiguous relation with the closure curtains. The mosquito bar is'loose' at the lower edge so that the occupant may slip his arm thereunder and work on the outside in drawing the curtains. When the curtains are thrown back as illustrated in Fig. 2 the end of the shelter will be entirely open with the mosquito bar protecting the sleeper. This arrangement has been described for one end of the cot. Each end of the tent is similarly equipped. A cord 26 is securely attached to each end of the tent and at the apex thereof. and provided with a hood 27. A cord 28 is attached to the canvas at 29 and drawn upwardly till it fastens over the hook'27. The cord 26 eX- tends down to the canvas and fastens around a clip 30. This construction tends to draw and raise the canvas up at the end and pull the tent in a taut condition. This construction is similar at each end of th cot. I

When the tent or sheltercover is tobe erected upon the bed the struts will have been placed in their respective pockets in the heads and the lower ends thereof set in position against th'est'epped brace and the 'cords26 and 28 secured jointly together as described. The connecting of the hook 27 and cord 28 at each end of the cot draws the tent all along the apex and water shed thereof in a taut condition. 5 The lowerends of the struts will next be moved outwardly; that is toward the endof the beam" which causes said strut to ratchet over the steps of the brace and tighten up the tent to a greater degree of tension at each step. This causes the canvas to slightly rise at each end. under the'tension ofthe cords. hen the weight of the occupant isbrought to bear upon the bed the canvas tends to'straighten out at the ends thereof in a horizontal position and thus further tightens up the shelter by subjectingit to tension.

After the occupant is within the tent he can secure the flaps and closure curtains down as he desires or leave them up at will. When the cot is to be dismantled the shelter tent may be removed therefrom and rolled in a bundle and placed in the same package with the cot when it is dismantled.

The cot as described is very suitable for all out door living and provides a wind and rain proof structure. It is highly adaptable for military use and comparatively small in bundle and light in weight.

The invention is intended to include all such changes and modifications in design, form and equipment which may be construed to come within the purview of the following claims.

Claims:

1. In a tent bed, the combination with a cot, of a pair of flaps joined together to form a shelter with an apex as a water shed, closure curtains arranged at each end of the shelter, a cord connected at each end of the apex of the shelter and adapted to fasten to the cot for the purpose of tightening the shelter.

2. In a sheltered cot ot' the character described, the combination with a V shaped canvas shelter superimposed upon the cot, struts for supporting the shelter in position, and means provided for connecting the ends of the shelter with the cot in such a manner as to cause the canvas of the shelter to tighten up when the weight of the occupant is applied to the cot.

3. In a sheltered cot, the combination with a cot comprising parallel beams supporting a canvas mat, of a shelter tent superimposed upon the cot, of struts connected with the shelter, of a stepped brace fixed to the cot and adapted to receive one end of the struts, and cords connected with each end of the shelter for the purpose of attaching to the canvas of the cot, and fastoner devices attached to the shelter for the purpose of securing same to the cot.

4. In a sheltered cot, the combination with a cot comprising parallel beams provided with legs and supporting a canvas mat, of a tent like shelter superimposed upon the structure, of closure curtains arranged at each end of the shelter, 01 mosquito bar drop curtains provided within the closure curtains, of a stepped brace provided in slots formed in the cot beams, of canvas pockets sewed into the shelter, struts having one end inserted in the pocket with the other end supported against the stepped bracket, and fastener cords attached to each end of the shelter and adapted to fasten to the canvas mat, the whole structure adapted to undergo a tightening up action by the oceupants weight upon the bed and by pushing the struts forward on the stepped brace to tighten up the shelter.

5. In a tent bed, the combination with a pair of parallel cot beams provided with slotted openings, a canvas mat, a cover shelter, struts adapted to be confined in the slotted openings of the beams and support the shelter.

6. In a tent bed, the combination with a cot, of a shelter superimposed above the tent, canvas pockets formed in the shelter, and struts confined in the pockets and reaching up from the cot to support the shelter.

7. In a tent bed, the con'ibination with a cot, of a shelter superimposed above the cot, a cord attached to each end of the cot, a tie cord attached to each end of the shelter and provided with a hook for connecting with the first named cord.

8. In a tent bed comprising a pair of parallel beams, a canvas mat, a cord attached to each end of the canvas mat, a tent shelter superimposed upon the cot, a tie cord attached to the shelter and adapted to fasten to the first named cord.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my hand.

WILLARD E. MARSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

